Antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been in the news a lot lately. You may have heard that scientists have discovered a new strain of E. coli dubbed "pan-resistant E. coli" which is resistant to some of our strongest antibiotics. The resent emergence of these highly resistant bacteria coincides with a decline in novel antibiotic production, exacerbating the issue further. The CDC tells us that "Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a result of these infections."
Well, lucky for us, there may be relief in sight as scientists in Colorado have created what may turn out to be a great tool in fighting these infections: quantum dots. These nanoparticles (really tiny things, like 20,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair!) are light activated and have been shown to destroy 92% of the resistant bacterial cells while leaving other cells unscathed. This is great news because many antibiotic treatments can harm the normal microbiota (symbiotic bacteria) in the body.
You can read more about quantum dots in the articles provided by The Huffington Post and Science Alert.
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